We continue with our Dream Kitchen Series after taking a short sojourn through the land of chairs and bookshelves.
We will be covering a more specialized piece today with an upper wall spice cabinet unit. This is designed to fit next to a pantry unit or perhaps next to the area where your refrigerator will sit with upper cabinets above it.
This unit is deep, the same depth as a pantry and I am designing it to go along with a pull out multi-level drawer/shelf, however there is no reason why you can't modify this to use normal adjustable shelves as well.
Showcase: Built From These PlansI am so honored each and every time one of you fine friends builds from these very plans! If you have built this piece, please take a moment and showcase your build! We are dying to see your fabulous hard work!
- Tape Measure
- Square
- Sander
- Drill
- Saw
- Kreg Jig – optional but very helpful
- 1/2 sheet – 1/4” plywood – will be visible and should be a decent grade and specie
- 1/2 sheet – 1/2” plywood – can be low grade
- 1/2 sheet – 3/4” plywood – can be low grade
- 1 – 1×2 at 8'
- 1 – 1×3 at 6'
- 1 1/4″ Pocket Hole Screws
- 1 1/4″ Wood Screws – if not using pocket hole jig
- 5/8″ Wood Screws
- 5/8″ Brad Nails
- 2″ Finishing Nails
- 3″ Dry Wall Screws
- Wood Glue
- Wood Filler
- Sandpaper
- Finishing Supplies
- 2 – 1/4” ply at 23 1/4”x 30” (outsides)
- 1 – 1/4” ply at 11 1/2” x 30” (back)
- 2 – 1/2″ Ply at 26 3/4″ x 22 7/8″ (upper interior panels)
- 2 – 1/2” ply at 1 3/4” x 22 7/8” (Lower interior Panels)
- 2 – 3/4” ply at 11 1/2” x 22 7/8” (bottom shelf and cabinet top)
- 2 – 1×2 at 10 1/2” (cleats)
- 2 – 1×2 at 30” (face frame stiles)
- 1 – 1×2 at 9” (face frame rail)
- 1 – 1×3 at 9” (lower face frame rail)
This cabinet making technique is one of my own invention, meant for folks who don’t own table saws or routers. If you do happen to own a table saw, you are welcome to make this in a more traditional sense and opt for 3/4” ply for the outside panels and carve out dadoes and grooves in the spaces I have created with the interior panels.
If you prefer to make this with adjustable shelves, you will need to create them from 3/4” ply and should use 3/4” x 3/4” square trim on the front edge. Otherwise I will be following this plan with a pull out shelving unit for this cabinet.
Before beginning to build, always check in on my site to make sure you have the most up to date set of plans, I occasionally update and change the plans to make the building process easier or to allow for less expensive purchasing of materials! Read through the entire set of instructions and all comments before beginning this project. If you print out or save plans, be sure to check in on my site to be sure you have the most up to date set of plans, as I occasionally update things for ease of building or buying. If you are new to building, read through the GETTING STARTED section and other articles found under the BUILD tab in the menu on my site, it has valuable information about how to get started, tools and techniques. If you are unfamiliar with the finishing process, visit my Finishing school for some tips and tricks for painting like a pro and for special finishing practices. Use glue to secure your joints and Consider Painting or Staining individual sections prior to assembling. This makes the paint application virtually flawless. Coat with a spray on Poly or Wipe on Poly to protect your finish and your piece and it will last for ages. Adhere to all safety standards and guidelines, and be sure you follow safety protocol throughout your build. If you are unsure about whether you are building safely, run a quick online search for the tool or technique you are using, or contact me via email or post to the forum before you move ahead. My contact info can be found in the menu of my site.
Cut your outside panels to size. Be sure they are perfectly square. You can check for square by measuring the diagonals and making sure they match as well as measuring the corner angles for 90 degree accuracy.
Cut your interior panels to size. If you plan on using adjustable shelves, drill your holes according to the diagram below. Otherwise, the next plan in this series is for a pull out unit with multiple levels. Don’t forget you will need to mirror this image on the other side, so you will need 4 interior panels in total. The interior panels are constructed from 1/2” plywood.
Attach the cleats to the interior panels, if you aren’t using a pocket hole system, be sure to countersink your screws from the outside of the interior panels so that they are flush or below the surface of the panels. Each cleat should be flush with the top of it’s respective interior panel (top cleat with top panel and the lower cleat with lower panel).
Add the top and bottom shelves to the interior panels, using glue and a pocket hole system if you have one, if you aren’t using a pocket hole jig, simply glue the bottom shelf in place and screw to the upper interior panel using 5/8” screws and be sure to countersink. Once the shelves are in place, tack on the outside panels using glue and 5/8” screws from the inside. Leave 3/8” overhang on the backside, Tack on your back using 7/8” brad nails.
Create your face frame. Use your pocket hole system set for 3/4” stock and place your pocket holes in the rails. attach to the cabinet using 2” finish nails. If you aren’t using a pocket hole jig, simply fasten your face frame to the cabinet using finish nails and glue.
You will attach your cabinet to the wall using 3” drywall screws through the cleats. We will cover an easy way to install cabinets in a future plan.
Fill any Screw, Nail or Pocket Holes, Sand and Finish as Desired. For Finishing Tips and Tricks visit my Finishing School
**Disclaimer: Some rights reserved. Private use only. Feel Free to link to any of my plans so long as you ONLY use 1 image and provide an ADEQUATE link back to the original source and appropriate plan! Plans from this page are not to be used for commercial purposes or republished without the express written consent of Rayan Turner, The Design Confidential I hope to provide accurate plans, however, I cannot guarantee each plan for accuracy. Not every plan that I post has been built and tested, so you are building at your own risk. It is recommended that you have a clear understanding of how the project works before beginning any project. Please contact me if you find an error or inaccuracy so that I might fix it.
